By Mitch Rice
We know every year, well in advance, which teams will be playing which over the course of the NFL’s regular season. And every year, when the schedules are announced in mid-May, there is excitement and intrigue at what we see. Of course, part of the reason for this is that now, with the schedule finalized, we know who is playing who when, and that’s a different thing. Every year, we know the Steelers will play the Ravens twice, but it makes it a lot more intriguing (and more likely to have us looking at wish for betting opportunities) if one of those games is in Week 18. And so it is worth looking at the recently-announced 2022 schedule to find the most exciting encounters.
Week 1: Buffalo Bills at LA Rams
Not only is it the curtain-jerker for the season in general, this is one of the marquee matchups in the 2022 campaign. The Rams are defending Super Bowl champions after an enthralling encounter with the Bengals. Having closed out last season, they fire the starter’s gun on this one by welcoming a team that’s coming for their crown. The Bills scored 57 touchdowns last season, more than three per game. They’ve been there or thereabouts for the last two years, and there’s a feeling of “if not now, when?” developing around star QB Josh Allen taking the final step. A win on the West Coast early on would be a statement.
Week 10: Seattle Seahawks vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yes, “vs”, not “at”. Because this will be the first regular-season game in NFL history to take place in Germany. Two teams, their coaches and staff – and some fans – will make the trip to Munich’s Allianz Arena to play out a game that could have playoff implications for both. For Seattle, it will mark the half-way point in Drew Lock’s first season under center after Russell Wilson’s departure to Denver. For the Bucs, we’ll know more about whether Tom Brady’s extremely brief retirement is likely to become more permanent soon. Expect a raucous crowd – Germany is a huge market with lots of committed NFL fans
Week 13: Cleveland Browns vs Houston Texans
This game has so much back story that they’ll need a week for the pre-game show. Deshaun Watson sat out all of 2021 after demanding a trade away from Houston. During that time, and still as of this moment, Watson has been surrounded by legal issues that caused other teams to turn their backs on a potential trade. Then, Cleveland traded away several draft picks and any semblance of faith in Baker Mayfield to bring Watson to Ohio. Davis Mills, who turned in a decent performance as starter in 2021, now has the chance to make the franchise his own, and he could do himself a favor here by overcoming the specter that haunted the NRG Stadium.
Week 18: New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins
Both of these teams are considered to be playoff possibles, in that there are plenty of teams in the AFC who are more of a sure thing. But there are so many subplots to this game that it’s hard not to be provisionally curious about it. The Dolphins have splashed cash and draft picks to majorly retool an offense that stank the place out for much of 2021. The Patriots returned to the postseason last year after breaking an NFL-record 11-season streak, and then spoiled it all with a confusingly awful draft. And just recently, former Patriots star running-back Sony Michel inked a contract in Miami. Add in the fact that these teams hate each other, and it’s a fascinating one to watch.
Data and information are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended for investment or other purposes.
